How to connect my ESP32 to gameduino 3x?

[paross88]

I did not found any sheet how to connect my ESP32 board. Especialty the 3 / 5V problematic.

Is there a circuit diagram?

thank for any replay.

[jamesbowman]

Hookup diagram:

excamera.com/sphinx/gameduino3/#hardware

[paross88]

Sorry, but that is the Pinout for Arduino, not for the ESP32.

[devben]

I had to use a different library as the gd2 library is made for a esp8266 or esp32 (the old model) the new esp32 has 2-3 SPI ports, so it wont work with that
here is the library i used

github.com/lightcalamar/GD23ZESP32

[janb]

I too was looking for answers how to connect a GD3X "on top of" an ESP32 board, UNO style/footprint; here are my findings:

1) 'User Description' link for my ESP32 board is www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Set-Up-WeMos-TTgo-ESP32-Uno-D1-R32/
2) This ESP32 UNO board looks like an Arduino UNO board, but with different pinout numbers!
3) I tried 'devben's solution (above). I got it to run, but VERY badly; bad colors, almost unreadable text, very "unstable".
4) I then "dug into" James Bowman's original 'GD2.cpp' & 'GD2.h', in the 'Gameduino2' sub-directory (under 'libraries').

I ended up with FOUR added lines in 'GD2.h', re-defining 'SD sel' & 'GPU sel' i/o pins; that's all (see excerpt below)
Oddly enough, 'wiring.h' (in 'transports' sub-dir) already contains the "correct" 'CS 12' definition for ESP32...!

/*
* Copyright (C) 2013-2018 by James Bowman <[e-mail]>
* Gameduino 2/3 library for Arduino, Arduino Due, Teensy 3.2,
* ESP8266 and ESP32.
* 2020-09-17: 4 lines added by Jan Bengtsson <[e-mail]>, marked with 'ESP32UNO'.
*/

#ifndef _GD2_H_INCLUDED
#define _GD2_H_INCLUDED

#define GD2_VERSION "1.2.1"

#if defined(RASPBERRY_PI) || defined(DUMPDEV)
#include "wiring.h"
#endif

#include "Arduino.h"
#include <stdarg.h>

#define RGB(r, g, b)    ((uint32_t)((((r) & 0xffL) << 16) | (((g) & 0xffL) << 8) | ((b) & 0xffL)))
#define F8(x)           (int((x) * 256L))
#define F16(x)          ((int32_t)((x) * 65536L))

                           // Options for GD.begin():
#define GD_CALIBRATE    1   // enable touchscreen calibration at startup
#define GD_TRIM         2   // trim the built-in oscillator
#define GD_STORAGE      4   // initialize attached microSD
#define GD_NOBACKLIGHT  8   // don't turn on the backlight

#ifdef __SAM3X8E__
#define __DUE__ 1
#endif

#if defined(ESP8266)
#define SD_PIN        D9    // pin used for the microSD enable signal
#elif defined(ESP32) //ESP32UNO
#define SD_PIN        13 //ESP32UNO
#elif defined(ARDUINO_ARCH_STM32)
#define SD_PIN        PB1
#else
#define SD_PIN        9     // pin used for the microSD enable signal
#endif

#define BOARD_FTDI_80x    0
#define BOARD_GAMEDUINO23 1
#define BOARD_SUNFLOWER   2
#define BOARD_OTHER       3

#ifndef BOARD
#define BOARD         BOARD_GAMEDUINO23 // board, from above
#endif

#define STORAGE       1                 // Want SD storage?
#define CALIBRATION   1                 // Want touchscreen calibration?

// FTDI boards do not have storage
#if (BOARD == BOARD_FTDI_80x) || defined(RASPBERRY_PI) || defined(DUMPDEV) || defined(SPIDRIVER)
#undef STORAGE
#define STORAGE 0
#endif

#ifndef DEFAULT_CS
#if defined(ESP8266)
#define DEFAULT_CS D8
#elif defined(ESP32)             //ESP32UNO
#define DEFAULT_CS 12            //ESP32UNO
#elif defined(ARDUINO_ARCH_STM32)
#define DEFAULT_CS PB0
#elif (BOARD == BOARD_SUNFLOWER)
#define DEFAULT_CS 6
#else
#define DEFAULT_CS 8
#endif
#endif
.
.
.


[BrewBot]

I was able to connect a ESP32 board to a GD3 screen shown below link with just jumpers.
gameduino2.proboards.com/thread/395/question-gd2-on-esp32

After this point I designed a customer "interface" board to translate the pins of the GD3 screen to the pins of the ESP32 chip. The interface board could also conveniently have screw terminals for any power, inputs or outputs you also have. In my case I had 12V power input, a onewire DS18b20 temp sensor input, and 3x outputs for a 12v relay, 5v SSR and an alarm. 

Attachments: